Buckwheat flowers impress visitors to Ha Giang Karst Plateau

Buckwheat fields along National Highway No. 4C and Provincial Road No. 176 in Ha Giang province wear new colours, woven by the seductive purple, white, and pink of flowers of the grain. Buckwheat is cultivated for its grain-like seeds, which are used to make speciality food by ethnic minorities in the mountainous region. Year-end is when buckwheat flower fields burst into full bloom, embellishing the beauty of Ha Giang, located in the far north of Vietnam. White and pink flowers cover the hills and mountains. The flower symbolises love and happiness, so many couples have their wedding photos shot in these fields. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Buckwheat is mainly grown in the high mountains of northern Vietnam. It is often planted around September. In the last months of the year, the province becomes more picturesque as buckwheat flowers are fully bloom and embraced by sunshine. White and pink flowers cover the hills and mountains. Beautiful buckwheat flower fields, framed by magnificent limestone mountains, have become attractive destinations for tourists to Ha Giang province in recent years. Tourists become spellbound by the magnificent rocky plateaus, winding passes, and picturesque terraced fields that paint the valleys with yellow colour in the harvest season and mirror the sky colours in the sowing season, especially enchanting buckwheat flower fields. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A field of buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang. It is said that Ha Giang is beautiful all year round, and every season promises a different experience for visitors. The mountainous province has a population of 800,000, 90% of whom are ethnic minorities with unique cultures and lifestyles. One of the most beautiful sites in the province is the Dong Van Karst Global Geopark, recognised by UNESCO as one of the 77 sites with important geological and cultural value. The geopark is littered with ethereal karst formations nearly 400 million years old. Most of the Dong Van Karst Plateau's surface is limestone (about 60%).  (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Buckwheat flowers change colour every week. They begin by being white, then change to purplish pink before becoming dark red. The buckwheat flower festival has been regarded as a highlight for years to promote local culture. This year's Buckwheat Flower Festival is scheduled to be held in Dong Van district on November 26. Themed "Karst Plateau Vitality", this year's festival will feature a series of side events, including an exhibition of local 'One Commune, One Product' (OCOP) and signature agricultural products, a marathon named 'Running on Happiness Route', and an auto and a motorbike race. There will be a Kayak and a SUP (racing paddle board) race on the iconic Nho Que River. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Capitalising on tourism demand, many residents have invested in buckwheat flower fields offering check-in services, with entrance ticket fees ranging only from 10,000 VND to 20,000 VND (0.4 – 0.8 USD) per person. Visitors can take photos with local children. The northwestern mountainous province of Ha Giang is home to about 20 ethnic minority groups with unique cultural identities and festivals. Over the past years, Ha Giang has become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign holidaymakers whose number increased 14% each year during the 2010-2015 period and 14.6% between 2015 and 2020, contributing 8.8% to the local gross regional domestic product (GRDP). (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Buckwheat flowers on the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark have become a tourist icon of Ha Giang Province. Not only used as a traditional food of ethnic people, but flowers of the grain also bring a poetic beauty, creating a unique feature in the mountainous highlands. Beautiful fields of buckwheat flowers, framed by magnificent limestone mountains, have become a must-not-miss attraction for tourists in the province in recent years. Ha Giang has been endowed with many magnificent unspoiled landscapes. To turn difficulties into momentum for development, the local authorities and ethnic people have constantly made great efforts and worked together to reduce poverty. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

To prepare for this year's festival, four mountainous districts of Ha Giang have grown nearly 400 hectares of buckwheat. The flower blooms from September to December, with the full-bloom period occasioned by the festival. Enjoying the peaceful landscape and chilly weather in the mountainous region of Vietnam is an irreplaceable experience. Travellers understand that Ha Giang is beautiful all year round, and every season promises a different experience for visitors. The Dong Van Karst Global Geopark, recognised by UNESCO as one of the 77 sites with important geological and cultural value, is littered with ethereal karst formations nearly 400 million years old. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Coming to Ha Giang, tourists can contemplate the flower at the foot of Ma Pi Leng Pass, Lung Cu Flag Tower, and Lung Cam cultural village, among others. The highest peak in Ha Giang is Mieu Vac Mount (1,971 m), while Tu San is the deepest canyon (700-800 m deep). Tu San canyon is deemed the deepest in Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general. It is home to cliffs measuring up to 800m in height, 1.7 km in length and 900 m in depth, thereby one of the most outstanding destinations of the Dong Van rock plateau formed millions of years ago. Tu San canyon is believed to be a wonder of nature. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The buckwheat variety in Ha Giang province differentiates itself from others by its pinkish colour. The flower forms large fields along mountainous roads and valleys and even grows on jagged cliffs. The maleficent beauty of the gigantic cliffs of Ha Giang is coupled with the romantic and poetic scene of the buckwheat flower fields. Ha Giang has over 800,000 people, 90% of whom are ethnic minorities with unique cultures and lifestyles. The province draws tourists with its endless terraced rice fields, buckwheat flower fields and splendid mountain landscapes. Going through 500 km of roads from Hanoi to Dong Van ancient town, tourists will feel that it is worth a trip as they will surely be satisfied by the majestic scene of massive buckwheat fields. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

It is said that once upon a time, the habitats in northern mountainous areas mainly lived on corn and rice until one day, all corn and rice in the house were nearly exhausted, but the fields could not be harvested. The villagers were very hungry. Suddenly, they smelt a scent in the wind. They went along the ravine and found a field of tiny flowers with triangle-shaped leaves. The villagers brought seeds of the flowers home to substitute for corn and rice and called them 'tam giac mach'. Since then, tam giac mach was used as an ingredient for bread or mixed with corn to make wine, such as Ban Pho liquor in Bac Ha and Nam Pung liquor in Bat Xat. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The Buckwheat Flower Festival is held annually in Ha Giang province in October or November, when the flower is most beautiful and in full bloom. This is a chance for Ha Giang to promote and popularise the special characteristics, traditional culture of ethnic minority groups living in the locality. There are many places to contemplate tam giac mach flower, such as Si Ma Cai, Bat Xat and Muong Khuong districts in Lao Cai province, and Tra Linh and Trung Khanh districts in Cao Bang province. However, the most popular destination is Ha Giang province, with familiar names like Sung Lan, Lung Cu, and Xin Man. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Although buckwheat flowers are small, they have strong vitality. In the arid, rocky areas, they still thrive and gloriously bloom. Any visitor will be blown away by the romantic beauty of buckwheat flower fields. Buckwheat is cultivated for its grain-like seeds, which are used to make specialty food by ethnic minorities in the mountainous region. The flower symbolises love and happiness, so many couples have their wedding photos shot in these fields. The flower symbolises the natural beauty of the northwest mountainous region and Ha Giang province in particular. Those who travel to Ha Giang but have yet to visit the buckwheat flower fields are believed to have a long time of regret. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

There are two types of buckwheat flowers. In areas of Cao Bang, the white type is popular. Meanwhile, in Ha Giang, people often plant the buckwheat variety with purple flower. Simple but loveable, modest but charming, the buckwheat flower is harmonious with the green colour of the forest and the grey colour of the mountains, which creates an endless source of inspiration for art enthusiasts. But the flower's most profound and beautiful feature is its meaning – slender in shape but full of energy and beauty, always overcoming the fierce challenges of nature. The flower also symbolises love and happiness, so many couples have their wedding photos shot in these fields. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The flowers of the buckwheat plant have a pleasant fragrance and tastes quite malty and earthy. The flowers are for bees to make dark brown honey that is quite strong in flavour. Buckwheat has many nutritional benefits and is a good source of high-quality protein that is easy to digest. Buckwheat starch acts as fat in processed foods, and that is why it is used in bakeries. Other benefits include that it lowers blood pressure as it is a good source of rutin, is non-allergenic (stuffed into pillows to help cure dust, feather and pollen allergies), helps manage diabetes, is good for digestion, is gluten-free, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood sugar levels, protects against breast cancer, and benefits the skin and hair, among many other things. (Photo: VietnamPlus)